Product Description

The Our Lady of Refuge cloisonné enamel on polished bronze plaque represents the message that all are welome. Our Lady of Refuge Plaque – most commonly know as “the Virgin of Mercy” – depicts Mary holding her cloak wide open to welcome and shelter laypeople, clergy, and royalty alike. This depiction was inspired by legal codes which guaranteed safety and protection from prosecution to all who found shelter under the cloak of a person with authority such as a king or queen. Our Lady of Refuge is known in Italy as the Madonna della Misericordia (Madonna of Mercy), in Germany as the Schutzmantelmadonna (Sheltering-cloak Madonna), and in France as the Vièrge au Manteau or Vierge de Miséricorde (Virgin with a cloak or Virgin of Mercy). This cloisonné enamel on polished bronze plaque is a wonderful religious gift of heirloom quality.

A Cloisonné Enamel on Bronze Plaque

This cloisonné enamel on bronze plaque is 2.55 inches highs x 2.20 inches wide. It hangs easily on any wall or can be displayed on a clear stand. Conceived and handcrafted in Germany by a master bronzesmith, this solid bronze and enamel plaque in cloisonné is a truly unique religious gift.

Icon of God’s Maternal Love

The Virgin is usually depicted with people seeking shelter under her cloak. The people sheltered normally kneel, and are by necessity depicted at a much smaller scale. They may represent all members of Christian society, with royal crowns, mitres, and even a papal tiara in the front rows, or represent only the local lay population. Our Lady of Refuge, or the Virgin of Mercy, was a popular devotion in Europe, especially in Italy from the 13th to 16th centuries, often as a specialised form of votive portrait. Martin Luther disparaged the Schutzmantelmadonna as a “hen with her chicks.” But Our Lady of Refuge, the Virgin of Mercy, can be interpreted just as easily as a way to God, as an icon of God’s maternal love for us: “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you…” (Isaiah 66:13).

The artist who created this original enamel artwork has devoted his life to creating some of the most unique and distinct pieces of liturgical art for spaces of worship around the world including the chapel of the Pontifical Academy of Sacred Music in Rome (which Pope John Paul II said was among the most beautiful he had ever consecrated). Collectors everywhere value his strong biblical images and the noble materials he uses. He has created all of his pieces solely with his left hand after losing his dominant right hand as a young man.